June 26th, 2009 |
Posted in Album Reviews by john
Every album has its very own time and place. For Monroe Stahr’s debut album, it really shouldn’t be very hard to deduce the right time. The first track is, “Summer Starts Here,” and that’s about right. The acoustic guitar paints a picture pretty early on of a veranda, or a nice bar/café patio in the hot summer sun, a comfortable, but somewhat restless atmosphere that carries on throughout the album. Much like other good summer albums: Sister Hazel, Phantom Planet’s the Guest, Roman Candle’s Midnite Revue, etc. Monroe Stahr walk a fine and difficult line between sounding “easy” and free without sounding “lazy” or non-committal. That easygoing quality last through the first third of the album and it’s a nice little triptych for a summer afternoon, the acoustic and electric guitars trading center stage without struggling for the spotlight or overcoming the vocals, again, a tough line to walk. And, like any good summer band, the rhythm section keeps things at a nice pop tempo. There’s not a lot of showy drumming or bass work here, which fits the atmosphere rather well, bring in too much rhythm and people will want to get up and move around, and really, this album wants you to sit and enjoy your beer (or wine, you fancy-pants, you.)
Stahr pulls a lot of influences into this debut, at times, especially on “Mantras”, sang by Nathan, they do a very good job of channeling Joy Division into something relatively optimistic, or rather, non-nihilistic, and the effect is something like meeting a bummed, yet well-adjusted Pete Doherty and the Libertines. It’s a welcome feeling, and when the album manages to pull these moments off it shows the potential for a band of musicians that, while clearly talented, don’t seem to have much of a plan right now.
But you know what? That’s OK. Bands don’t always need a plan, and most of the best debut albums lack any real thesis (I’m thinking of “Greetings” from Asbury Park, for some reason.) Stahr is really on point when conveying that warm feeling, most evident on tracks like “Summer Starts Here,” “Nescafe Years,” and “Square One,” the last of which is likely the best song of the album. It’s the song with everyone on top of his game, and every element really works. The rhythm section gets a little bit of elbow room, the vocals get a well-deserved breaking from trying to be serious, and the guitars work together perfectly.
About those vocals. Nicky Almasy clearly has a good voice for rock ‘n’ roll, but throughout most of the album, he’s simply trying too hard to affect. And that’s a shame because not only does he have a great voice, but the forced drama and “Arctic-Monkey-ness” but also because it really clashes with the atmosphere of entirely pleasant guitar work. At times it sounds like an acoustic Alice in Chains, with a vocal trying very hard to sound rock ‘n’ roll badass and instrumentals just having a good time.
Almasy makes up for it substantially by writing pretty good lyrics. “History,” in particular has the sort of simple lyrical thesis that is really easy to get behind, and like “Square One,” it’s back by an excellent accompaniment that adds just the right amount of melody to the unforced but emotive lyrics.
There’s one song that I’ve avoided ‘til now, mostly because I simply don’t know what to make of it. “Airport,” is the kind of song that will come on at a party and everyone, at the same time goes, “is that…. That’s…. wait, no, it’s not. What is this?” Essentially, it’s an acoustic rock lobster with an almost wall-of-sound style electric guitar on top, reverbed, toned down shouting underneath, and the chorus “It was you.” That last bit sounds doesn’t really sound note worthy, but it is, mostly because the opening, “Rock Lobster” riff comes back just as Almasy sings “it was,” so my brain just keeps thinking “a rock… a rock lobster” no matter how many times I listen to it.
Finally, the last two tracks may sum up everything good and bad about this debut. “That would be a No,” has trying-too-hard written all over it, from the lyrics to the vocals and the instrumentation. It really feels like a filler “sad song,” and, more importantly, the kind of thing that these guys can definitely do better (since they already have in “Square One”). But the closer, “Nescafe Years,” it’s a shining white light of hope. OK, the lyrics are a slight bit cliché, but the song itself is excellent, all of the pieces, including a few added “bee-boos” (xylophone?) fit together perfectly and it’s an altogether great way to finish a summer album.
The album cover for DaShiJie is a winding, open road, and that’s a pretty good metaphor. This is open music, summer music, maybe even road music, but there’s definitely a journey to make, and bands could do a lot worse than a first step like this one.
tags: Elbow - Emo - Joy Division - Listen to - Monroe Stahr - Pop - Racks - Rain - Rock - Void
May 17th, 2009 |
Posted in Articles by zack
Synthesizer driver Evan Mast and guitarist Mike Stroud, otherwise known as Ratatat, are classical composers for a brilliant new future. They have collected and utilized an array of old- and new-fangled tools to create layered, digitally altered masterpieces to play in the deep recesses of mind space. We haven’t seen anything like this since some hairy dudes gathered a bunch of sticks together and took a spark to them. In short, they show us possibilities for where music can go if we maximize our potential for ingenuity.
Your background: The two musicians met at college and later got together under the name Cherry. In 2004 they released a self-titled debut, which was recorded on a Powerbook in a Brooklyn apartment. This, by the way, is some of the best music I have ever heard. It is crisp and soulful at the same time, which is hard to come by, like robots programmed for interpretive dance. Their genius is in the fact that this complicated music does not come off as stilted or over-bearing, although their tunes can contain up to 70 tracks of stuff coming at you. It never seems forced. They use a funky beat, an inventive melody, and some sounds that you have never imagined, in order to move the crowd, so to speak.
Two other full lengths that are just as good have followed, including last year’s LP3, but I think the most interesting things they have done are their hip hop remix tapes, which take the vocal tracks of contemporary pop-hop artists, such as Missy Elliot, Jay Z, Kanye, Bun B, etc., and completely rework the instrumentals into masterpieces that give the originals an entirely new slant. Even Biggie Smalls (RIP) gets reinvented here, and he is so much the better for it. These two mixtapes are definite must-haves. If they were really cassette tapes, instead of MP3s, I probably would have melted them by now from playing them so much.
The most interesting thing about their date at the Zhijiang Dream Factory, May 21st, (other than the fact that Ratatat is going to play Shanghai) is to guess how this performance will play out. Consider this quote from aninterview they gave to the Fader:
There are all kinds of acoustic instruments on the new record. How are you dealing with that (live)?
Mike: Samples…I’m going to be playing electric guitar, any percussion that we can and live recordings, and the beats went through samples and stuff.
Do you ever think that, even once, it would be better to have everything accounted for by a live human?
Mike: Yeah, that would be amazing.
So why not do that?
Mike: It’s not practical, we’d have to get like nine guitar players, I don’t know.
I don’t think they will be bringing the nine guitarists along, but I imagine you can expect electric guitars, synthesizers, a laptop or seven, as well as a battalion of percussion instruments, and (if their web pictures can be trusted) a couple of guys with rainbows shrouding their eyes. I will see you there.
演奏合成器的Evan Mast和吉他家Mike Stroud，也被称为Ratatat，是具有一个灿烂的未来的经典作曲家。 他们收集并用了一序列旧和新的工具来创作一种应在头脑的深处里演奏的分层、数字化改变的杰作。从些长发的人采集并点燃了几条树枝以后,我们没看到过这么全新的事情。他们让我们明白只要把自己的匠心潜力增加到最大限度音乐就会得到的效果。
你们的背景：这两个音乐家在大学第一次见面了，然后创立了被称为Cherry的乐队。2004年他们发行了一张唱片，《Ratatat》。这张唱片就是在布鲁克林的一套房子里用一台PowerBook制造的。这个也是我听过的最好音乐其中之一。它既脆生又充满感情的。这个很难以获得，仿佛一种机器人的诠释舞蹈。他们之所以算是天才是因为他们的复杂音乐虽然会由70条音轨组成，不但并不虚饰而且没有什么牵强的感觉。他们用一种Funky节奏，一个有创造力的旋律，一些你们从来没听到过的声音，都是为了让人群动一动，为了好好说出来。
虽然后来的两张唱片(包括去年的《LP3》)也算好，可是我觉得他们制作的最有趣的是他们的Hip-hop混音唱片。他们用现代Pop-hop艺术家，例如Missy Elliot，Jay Z，Kanye, Bun B等来制作让原本更有趣的杰作。连Biggie Smalls都被重新创作，可比原来的好得多。 这两张混音唱片实在是不可或缺的。假如这些音轨不是MP3而是磁带,那么它们一定会因为被我过度使用而熔化。
除了他们要在上海演奏的事以外，关于他们的五月二十一日在芷江梦工厂的音乐会的最有趣的是猜出他们将演出得怎么样。请你们看看下面自Fader引出来的采访:
在新唱片中有各种各原声乐器。你们在舞台上怎么处理这个问题?
Mike:音乐样本…我弹电子吉他和打所有打击乐器但现场录音和所有节奏都是音乐样本。
你觉得用实在的音乐家比较好吗?
Mike：当然，那样一定更好。
那么，为什么还没有?
Mike：因为并不实用：那样的话我们会需要九个吉他家。
我不觉得他们将用九个吉他家，但是我猜你们到音乐会就会看到几把电子吉他，几台合成器，一到七台笔记本电脑，一大批打击乐器和(如果在网络上的照片可靠的)两个眼睛被彩虹覆盖的小子。在那边见。
*Translation to Chinese: Dario Lupoli
tags: Dance - Dream Factory - Funk - Hip Hop - Pop - Rain - Ratatat - Shanghai - Soul
May 14th, 2009 |
Posted in Editor's Picks by mike
Thursday:
Rogue Transmission
Shanghai’s favorite Small-Venue-Arena-Rock-Band continues the thrashing and pounding, and continues the recent push of Anar towards contenduh status. But in addition to the regular balls-out rock you’ve come to expect from the Rogues, they are presenting new material and turning some old songs into “country, swing, acoustic and psychedelic jams,” before tearing the walls off as usual in the second set. Ben Bottiler of the Dropkicks and Snot-rockets will open with a solo acoustic set, and Mau Mau and Heatwolves of Baijiu Robots will keep the house boppin’ after the Rogue-load has been blown.
Anar, 129 Xingfu Lu near Fahuazhen Lu, but actually closer to that park on the mysteriously unnamed street (some claim it is also Xingfu Lu) that runs from Huashan Lu
8:30 doors, 9:30 start
30 RMB cover
Friday:
Andy C
To celebrate Phreaktion’s 10 year birthday, they are bringing the #1 D’nB DJ according to a bunch of magazine lists. Phreaktion’s website has more info as well as a BBC1 Essential Mix that Mr. C did a few years back. He is joined by MC Lowqui, right hand of D’nB legend Goldie. There will be further support from local badasses Siesta, Viceroy, and Drunk Monk on the 1’s AND 2’s, and Cha Cha, Arminda, and Esia on the M-I-C. As an added bonus, it’s at the dream factory, and is the first big DJ thing that has gone down there, so it will be interesting to see how the venue works for that.
Zhijiang Dream Factory, New Factories Building B, 4F, 28 Yuyao Lu near Xikang Lu
10:00 start
150 RMB cover at the door, or you can get them for 120 in advance from SmartTicket (who I believe have a commission or delivery charge), and then at phreaktion’s website they have this intriguing offer: ” ♬❤♪ Group discount advance tickets @ ¥120, call for more info 138 162 99297″ sixteenth notes, love, and eighth notes. Isn’t that what music is all about?
Bang Gang Deejays
Scenesters who have not yet visited The Warehouse will want to take this opportunity to check it out, which is also the China launch of Australian label Modular. Bang Gang Deejays are described as similar to Simian Mobile Disco, which is cool. The event is being presented by S.T.D. and Free the Wax. With that collection of names, off-color jokes would be so easy, and I’m not going there. Anyway, it sounds cool, and the drinks are advertised as cheap, and I’ve never been that far down in Xuhui. If you party all night you could then head over to the Shanghai Botanical Garden the next day.
The Warehouse, 237 Xitai Lu building 10 near Longshui Nan Lu
10:00-4:00
60 RMB cover
Saturday:
JZ All-Star Big Band
After a long and much bemoaned absence, the Big Band returns to its hallowed Saturday spot at JZ. With Rolf Becker in Germany, layabozi collaborator Nicholas Bouloukos has taken over the music director duties, so expect some new arrangements. Word on the street is that this will be a smaller big band with no trombone section. Stay tuned to this space for more details. Afterwards, as always, is the JZ Old School Jazz Jam.
JZ Club, 46 Fuxing Xi Lu near Yongfu Lu
10:00-3:00
30 RMB cover
Surgeon A/V
Presented by Void, Anthony Child aka Surgeon will bring his brand of dark Birmingham dark Techno to the Shelter decks. As a special treat, his wife is coming with an actual prepared VJ accompaniment that highlights the industrial darkness of his sound, and which should be a welcome change from most of the decidedly bootleg VJing that goes on in this town.
Shelter, 5 Yongfu Lu near Fuxing Xi Lu
10:00 start
60 RMB cover
Sunday:
Sham 69
Likely the oldest punk band that has ever or will ever come to Shanghai, these guys were doing their thing in the mid-70’s and were right there with the Sex Pistols. Beijing punkers No Name will support and carry the punk torch forward into the future. Maybe you can get a chance to chat with them and gain some knowledge about the intricacies of being punk.
YuYinTang, 1731 Yan’an Xi Lu, enter from Kaixuan Lu
9:00 start
80 RMB cover at the door, 60 RMB in advance (call 137 6485 6670 to get ‘em in English, 6438 5946 in Chinese)
Special Conflict of Interest Pick:
Thursday
Break for Borneo and Eddy Goltz Trio
This is my steady gig with Becca from Dovetail Joints and Adam Crossley on songwriting, singing, guitaring, and in Becca’s case, ukeleling. Zack Smith joins on “Ndike” aka bongos, and I play double bass. It’s mostly originals in an acoustic rock/reggae style, and we are the greatest band ever to walk the earth. Following is the Eddy Goltz Trio playing jazz with Eddy on guitar and vocals, Jay or someone else on guitar, and my arch-nemesis Big Mike on double bass. Because this clown is tall and also plays bass and is American, I have become “Little Mike,” to many of my Chinese colleagues. I think “Rochester Mike” and “Boston Mike” would be fine, but it doesn’t really roll off the tongue, and I’m not sure many Chinese people know where Rochester is. There is only one solution: Big Mike must be destroyed. Keep coming every Thursday, because one time, when he least expects it, I will jump out from somewhere and do some unspeakable thing that will be seared into your brain forever. Then my nickname could be “Killer Mike” or something cool like that.
Kaiba, 528 Kangding Lu in the back of the alley, near Xikang Lu
B4B 6:30-8:30 Eddy Goltz Trio 9:00-12:00
No cover, happy hour beers are 25-35 until 9
tags: Anar - Andy C - Australia - Baijiu Robot - Bang Gang Deejays - Beijing - Ben Bottiler - Break for Borneo - China - Dark - Dream Factory - Eddy Goltz Trio - Editor's Picks - Emo - Free the Wax - House - Jazz - JZ - JZ Big Band - Nicholas Bouloukos - Phreaktion - Psychedelic - Punk - Rain - Reggae - Rock - S.T.D. - Sham 69 - Shanghai - The Shelter - UK - Void - YuYinTang
May 6th, 2009 |
Posted in Live Music Reviews by mache
Some of my friends are sad that last weekend is over already and some others are happy it is finally over. Last weekend China was invaded by music, it’s been a non-stop music trip since Layabozi began its operations, and the ride is getting more intense every time. One would imagine after a year of this we would already be used to these “rush-hour” weeks of music, but still sometimes it’s overwhelming.
I began May holiday on Thursday night at the already classic Antidote party at C’s, which had an indie rock theme for this edition. I arrived late, right after Brad Ferguson finished his DJ set. Michael Michael told me that when Brad came he said he was thinking about playing a set of Mexican Rock, Michael said to him immediately “Do it! Do it!”. And Brad did it, and it seemed like it was a total success. Shame on me: it’s one more set to add to my list of “I would like to have listened to…”.
The good news was that the weekend was just beginning. So when DJ Sacco took control of the C’s booth, my music trip began. Super Sophia was just coming from the gig with Army of Freshman at YuYinTang, right on time for us to dive on the dance floor together at DJ Sacco’s great set, the crowd danced and enjoyed the sound of the very well chosen electronic guitars and dirty drums.
From Antidote’s at C’s the flow guided us to LOgO. We made it to the after party, after Reptile and Retard, who I knew rocked Vox Bar in Wuhan the week before with the Antidote guys. DJ Alex was on the tables when we arrived to LogO, and though it was the first time I listened to him, the music was fantastic, the place was not very busy, but the right people were there to have the perfect end of the night.
Friday’s music began early evening at YuYinTang with the gig of Crazy Mushroom Brigade , Andy Best’s own favorite Shanghainese band. 仆仆 (Pu Pu ), leader and singer of the band, has total dominion over the stage and the music this time sounded much clearer than other times I’ve heard them. I had fun with them. Creature was the Canadian band, the big dish of the Split Works night. The sound at YuYinTang was really impressive, so much it’s worth it to mention it. The place was full, not packed and impossible, but full enough to not be able to walk around freely. So it was a wonder who was causing the magic there. It just took a look to the back, to see by the soundboard a new face, someone totally unfamiliar, very possible the responsible for the miracle. I hope that whatever was the cause of the great sound is already fixed and set for good at YuYinTang’s soundboard.
Creature, the Canadian band, was very fun, the chicks were sexy, the music was tight, the front man was strong, and again, the sound was miraculous. I was planning to run after to LogO to end at The Shelter, but I was caught by Coco and his friends, and YuYinTang’s garden was haunting, and the people stayed long after the music was over. So the safe way out of there was straight to home.
Saturday came too soon, and the hang over from last night was annoying, but everything was still working perfect. Mike called me to go for dinner, and right after I followed him to his gig, the first set at JZ with Tico’s trio for Latin Jazz. The three members of the band are Tico Cardenas on the piano, Mike “Big Duck” Brownell on double bass, and Pablo Ortega on drums. This trio has been together for some time already, and their concept is pretty cool. Tico is the lead man mixing the Latin and the jazz sound, Mike brings the swing jazzy colors into the latin grooves, and Pablo the Latin drums, with a nice swing touch. All was cool, just when it’s about Latin music, I can’t just passed by without saying, why is always about tropical sounds? Latin music is as vast as Chinese food, and so I’m hoping soon I’ll get to hear some news on Shanghai Latin music scene, some Argentinean zamba, tango, maybe a Peruvian waltz, or some Mexican rancheras (notice I’m not being that picky, if so, I would be asking for some Andean tunes or a Sau Sau). Anyway, these guys are pretty cool, and I must say that you all should go and check them, specially the most awesome, good looking, and coolest bass player ever (who incidentally is our chief editor, and I better pay the proper respects here or I may get fired).
I would have loved to stay to hear JQ with the Abraham Carmona doing their flamenco fusion, but I had to run to Anar. Lions of Puxi have been a success
in constant growth since last year. These French-Chinese-Mauritius guys are having so much fun together, it is impossible to avoid their happiness. All of them have been going through different experiments The Swing Gum Dynasty, The Gypsy Jazz band, Noukilla, the Mauritius sega band. And now when you see them on the stage, you can feel with them, this is what they were looking for. They fit together, everyone of them brings their own style and all together they create a general mood of joy, which is perfectly guided by the rhythm of their reggae vibe. Anar has a cool stage and the Lions clearly feel comfortable there. The band finished playing and all the guys jumped off the stage and left quickly, they are all working a lot and the day after there was a recording session for a Jazz album for some of them, TV for others, and a rest day for a few.
Next was again LOgO, Sweet Snacks with S.T.D. The band just finished playing when I arrived, and the general vibe of the people was very satisfied with the gig. The DJ sets began right after. There were four guys in the booth, and a VJ in the back. The graphics were great, and the sound was very impressive too. At this point I was thinking it might be because the spirits of Shanghai were in a good mood and decided not to interfere with the sound waves; it was too much coincidence. The DJ’s were really great, the people was impressed with their sound, the energy went never down, and it was difficult to leave. But Super Sophia and Julie were there and the rumor was “DJ Sacco is playing at MAO and he is going to do his all to get fired.” I was tired, but that is a weird invitation and curiosity has yet to kill this cat, so I had to go. We headed to MAO, a club struggling to survive since months ago, bringing underground DJs reluctantly. What I most regret about MAO is the way they confessed once they didn’t really care about the music they have. Have I told this before? I can’t remember. Anyway, I still remember such words. How can it be possible???
Well, at MAO, DJ Clement was there and he was genuinely angry to see all his friends there, who have never gone to his gigs at MAO. What could I say? Except I hadn’t checked his gigs at MAO but I was there when he played at Dragon with Laura Ingalls, a gig to remember because I learned a lot about Dragon with them there.
Back to DJ Sacco at MAO, there was the usual ‘MAO crowd’, and the others, should I call it the renegades of the electronic music in Shanghai, those that submit to the label of underground, just because they are people who are paying attention to the music and not only to the available drinks and affairs surrounding the speakers, which by the way, talking about sound, MAO’s sound system should be priced with the top one worst.
Sacco’s set was well prepared and disturbing, and amazingly well received. I don’t know yet what the result of the night was. I didn’t stay until the end (7 am), love of music is limited sooner or later by the need for rest.
Sunday was finally a bit slow, the rain and the holiday mood was good. I had a gig myself, and I was planning to go to Anar as soon as I finished, but I finished too late and when friends and me finally arrived at Anar, the music was over and the people were gone. So, LOgO. LogO’s Sunday Jam Sessions changed some time ago, and now they are guided by the Carmona Brothers. The Jam Session was finishing but there was a DJ after (of an unknown name, I was too done to do the proper search) and some of the guys who were just back from the Midi Festival. Some of them were totally discontented with the festival, but some others were so happy about it they had to go out to spread their energy around.
Right now I’m back from Monday at JZ, I made it to listen to the Lawrence Ku’s Trio, with him on the guitar, EJ “Silver Ass” Parker on double bass and Chris Trzcinski on drums. This trio plays a strong and cool kind of jazz–a refreshment for the ears full of rock and beats–nice melodies, cool solos, and well developed dominion on the instruments.
Shanghai has so much music we are not being able to cover it all. The sounds are coming from everywhere, the bikes, the woks, the horns, the yells, the music. It’s rush-hour in music.
*Photos of Split Works’ Creature at YuYinTang by Damien Chang
tags: Anar - Andy Best - Antidote - Brad Ferguson - Canada - China - Chris Trzcinski - Crazy Mushroom - Dance - DJ Sacco - Electronic - Fusion - Indie - Jazz - JZ - Lions of Puxi - Listen to - LOgO - MAO - Michael Michael - News - Rain - Reggae - Rock - S.T.D. - Shanghai - Split Works - Tango - The Shelter - Tico's Trio - UK - YuYinTang
